Does any particular industry come to mind? How about the Health Care industry?

Augmented reality (AR) has applications in the diagnosis as well as the treatment of disease, and has assisted in the professional medical community for over 10 years.

AR’s interactive imaging helps doctors accurately visualize their patient’s insides – and I mean their patient’s actual insides. Various scans can be combined with each other and then be projected onto their patient to allow doctors and surgeons a completely non-invasive look inside.

AR is also applied to medical communications and education. Genzyme, a biotech company used AR to demonstrate the risks of taking calcium-based binders. Schools are now also using AR to help students visualize the systems of the body, and understand their functions.

I could talk about the exciting marking, branding, and advertising opportunities in medical communications, because you’re right, there are many. But the opportunity that excites me the most is the chance to make the lives of patients and caretakers a lot less stressful, and maybe a little more fun.

AR on the patient level could provide additional support on administering drugs or treatments and injury rehabilitation. As patients we are often bombarded with more info than we’re capable of retaining (I know I struggle to remember even a quarter of it just a little while later). AR markers added to medical product packaging, informational brochures, and patient starter kits would provide instant follow-up demonstrations, instructions, and support for patients and caretakers.

The organization that can also infuse some entertainment (read: fun) into the experience, as well as some subtle-but-effective branding wins all the prizes.

Are there other ways we can create shared-value with customers using AR? Where are the opportunities for businesses and organizations in Victoria?

Mobile technology was supposed to be the final stake through the heart of print media.

Mobile devices let you pull unlimited content to you anywhere you are. The printed magazine and newspaper were going to twitch and grimace a bit but ultimately succumb to the inevitable.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the graveyard.

Thanks to this brilliant new mobile technology, the so-called dead media have risen. Here are a couple of examples.

1. Print media supporting the technology

Magazine titles around mobile devices, apps and operating systems have exploded. The very technology that was supposed to put the media 6-feet under has provided a rich vein (sorry I AM going to stop with all the vampire gags now) of content.

iPhones, Blackberrys, Androids .. there’s a mag for that.

2. Print media using the technology.

Augmented reality not only showcases sexy new dimensions to print media, but it also ushers in new ways for these publications to create advertising opportunities. Ad sales are going to turn a corner when this technology hits its stride.

Check out some of the cool applications of augmented reality in print media.

Social media enthusiasts and consultants thrive on new platforms in the ever-evolving world of social media. Quora and augmented reality tools like Layar are just two examples getting a lot of attention these days. But should your business be using them? It’s tempting to establish a presence quickly, gaining first-mover advantage should that platform explode in popularity. But before you register, consider:

Are you using your existing social media well? Before you leap into something new and spread resources, make sure your old stand-bys (e.g., blog, Facebook, Twitter accounts) are well-maintained, and can remain that way.

Is your brand innovative? If you’re the Apple Store, you’d better be on the latest social media platforms, because your brand dictates that you do. If you’re a local shoe store, a good, old-fashioned Facebook page will probably be fine.

Are your customers innovative? If they are early adopters, you’ll be seeing them on the new platform sooner. If not, you could be waiting for payoff a l-o-n-g time.

Does the new social media vehicle allow you to interact in ways you can’t now? Starting a Tumblr account won’t bring you many new opportunities to interact with customers if you already have a WordPress blog.

Is your audience large? Only a tiny percentage of the overall online audience use the latest social media, and it takes a fair bit of effort to establish your business on a new platform even if you’re small. Is it worth being there if you’re stuck providing content for two followers for months?